Coiling-machine.



A. MOMURTRIE.

ooILING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT.1, 1910. l l 17,687. Patented N0v.17, 1914. 9 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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A. MUMURTRIE.

COIUNG MACHINE.

AFPLICATZUN FILED OCT. 1, lull) Lmjg'y Patented N0v.17,1914.

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ADNAH MCM'URTRIE, OF NEl/V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS & BETTS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

COILING-MACHINE.

Application led October 1. 1910.

To all ich/)m it may concern Be it known that I, ADNAH MCh/lmrrmn, of N ew York, N. Y.. have invented certain Improvements in Coding-Machines, of which the following description. in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. like references on the drawings designating like parts.

This invention relates to coiling machines. and is of particular utility when employed in apparatus for manufacture of the helically coiled metal strip used as a protective armor sheath for insulated electrical conductors. although l contemplate the use of my improvements in any field to which they are adapted by their nature.

An important object of my invention is to provide apparatus for thevhelical deformation of a straight strip to form a tube. in which apparatus a single machine will contain. in compact form, the several mechanisms serving to deform the strip along the axis of the tube and impart the convolute. interlocking. helical form, which operations convert the straight strip into a tube. and also mechanism which will set the convolutions in their final form, accomplishing this as a unitary operation.

The method of accomplishing the above object will he made the subject of a separate application.

These operations have usually been complished heretofore as two or more erations in separate machines. involving additional initial expense of equipment, additional supervision and operating expense. duplication of replacement cost, and involving the unsatisfactory mode of operation incidental to the attempt to synchronize the operation of separate machines and the division of the attention of the operating force. Accordingly. by my invention, the strip is fed in straight and is deformed helically and set continuously and without opportunity for errors of operation to creep in through maladjustments of separate machines or the varying personal equation of different operators, or the inability of an individual operator to control the action of cooperating machines.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914. Serial No. 584.927.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a machine in which an insulated conductor is fed to the sheath-forming mechanism through a hollow shaft in axial ahnement with the sheath. and this shaft is organized with the sheath-forming mechanism to serve as the prime mover thereof'.

A\mong other notable objects of my invention is the provision of means to effect in such a machine. and as a still further step in the unitary treatment of the tube. a reduction in the diameter of the convolutions of the. helix. for which purpose l may utilize rolls of tapered form.

Still another object of my invention is to simplify the construction of the machine by the use of setting rolls having a plain surface. permittingl a certain adaptability in excess of that afforded by corrugated rolls for setting purposes. and l may provide integral rolls with both forming and setting surfaces for effecting the helical deformation of the strip: also making these setting surfaces tapered in certain instances to compress the convolutions slightly and coperating thus to obtain the desired diameter of helix.

'l`he various features of my invention will be illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawings and specification and pointed out inthe claims.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation of apparatus by means of which my invention may be carried into effect and in the construction of which my invention has been embodied; Fig. 2 is a conventional section taken on the line r2-.r2 of Fig. l, upon a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of a modified form of arbor and rolls for use in machines such as that illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. -L is a sectional view of a suitable form of strip for treatment in such machines; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. .2 of a modified form of machine; and Fig. G is a vertical, sectional view of a modified form of roll for use in machines embodying my invention; Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 2 of another modification in the organization of such machines embodying my invention.

In the embodiment of my invention selected for illustrating and description to enable ready and complete understanding of the proper manner in which my improvements are to be carried into effect, the part designated by the reference numeral 1 is a.

roll of suitable size, material and contour to effect the helical deformation of a strip of metal of substantial Width and thickness, and any suitable number of such rolls may be used, grouped in any convenient and suitable fashion, four rolls being shown in the instance illustrated, bearing the reference numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively, to operate upon a. strip 5, of suitable contour, such as that shown in Fig. 4, the rolls having respectively forming-surfaces 6 arranged at different positions along the axis of the helix, so that the/rolls Will coperate to form a complete initial convolution of the helix, as' indicated in Fig. 2. These rolls may be supported in any suitable fashion and their rotation may be effected in any suitable Way, preferably positively, and as one convenient form of support for the rolls I have shown each of them as mounted upon an arbor 7 journaled in bearing members 8 and 9 integral with a suitable support or base 10, as in the case of the bearing member 8, or secured thereto by suitable fastening means, such as the bolts 12 in the instance of the bearing member 9; also as suitable means for effecting said positive rotation I have shown gears 13 secured by suitable means such as the keys 14 to arbors 7 respectively, these gears meshing with a central gear 15 which may be driven in any suitable fashion, anda-in the instance illustrated is shown as keyed at 16 upon a hollovvshaft 1 7, Which in turn has a driving gear 18 secured thereto by suitable means such asthe key 19, and may be driven by any suitable means from a suitable source of power, not shown.

The hollow shaft 17 Will preferably be mounted in suitable bearings in the bearing member 9, and I prefer to provide an additional bearing member 21 secured to the base y10 by suitable means such as the bolts 12 and in which is journaled the shaft 17, the member 21 providing auxiliary bearings also for the arbors 7, which it Will'be understood are driven by rotation of the part 17, acting through the key 16, gear 15, gears 13 and keys 14, the arbors serving in their turn to drive the rolls 1, 2, 3 and 4 by means of suitable devices such asothe keys 22.

In accordance with my invention, therefore. mv improvement provides for imparting by the surfaces 6 to the strip 5 helical deformation by bending it circumferentially and along the axis of the helix to the extent necessary to form a complete initial convolution, successive portions of the strip 5 being treated continuously to form con- Limes? volutions Which together constitute the extended helix, each convolution as it is formed progressing along the axis of the helix Where it may conveniently be subjected to the setting operation provided for by my invention.

The setting means may take any suitable form, and as one convenient device for this purpose l have shown at 20 a roll, of which there may be one for, and mounted upon, each of the arbors 7, the radius of these rolls being such as to cause their engagement with the periphery of the convolutions of the helix 25, and I prefer to mount these settings rolls 20 directly adjacent to the rolls 1, 2 3 and 4 so that the convolutions of the helix will be engaged at once and set at the desired diameter' Without being suffered to expand after leaving the deforming rolls.

The circumference of the setting rolls may be substantially parallel With the axis of the helix as shown in Fig. 2, or may be tapered to any desired extent found suitable, as in the case of the roll 30 shown in Fig. 3, the purpose of such taper being to compress the convolutions slightly, and the effect of the taper being thus to reduce slightly the diameter of the convolutions in order to compensate for the slight expansive tendency which may be exhibited by the helix on account of the residual resiliency of the strip.

The setting rolls may be left free to rotate upon the arbors 7 as shown in Fig. 2, or'ijhey may be secured to these arbors as in the case of the setting roll 30 shown in Fig. 3 and keyed at 31 to the arbor 27 so that the roll 30 is rotated positively at uniform speed With the forming-surface 6 of the roll 1, which also is keyed at 22 to the arbor 27 I contemplate also the construction of the surface for helical deformation and the setting surface integrally with each other, and as one convenient embodiment of such integral formation I have shown in Fig. 5 rolls 101, 102 provided respectively :With forming-surfaces 106 for the helical formation of the strip 105; these rolls having alsol setting surfaces 1.20 to `be engaged With the convolutions of the helix to set them at the desired diameter. The rolls 120 are shown with circuniferences substantially parallel with the axis of the helix in Fig. 5, but may be shaped differently, as for example With the taper indicated at 220 in Fig. 6, Which shows the shaping surface 206 and setting surface 220 as both formed integrally with a roll 201 which may if desired have also formed integrally1 therewith an arbor 207, this reducing considerably the number of parts, The remainder of theimachine may be of any suitable construction, and it may 'be organized conveniently as shown, in-

tegral in part With the base 110, the standard 108 being so illustrated; the bearing standards 109 and -121 are secured thereto by bolts 112; and gears 113 keyed at 114 to their arbors 107 serve to communicate to the arbors 107 and through them to the rolls 101 and 102 by means of the keys 122, the motion which the gears 113Y derive from a gear 115 keyed at 116 to a hollow shaft 117, the latter being driven by a suitable source of power not shown, acting through the gear 118 and key 119.

The compact organization of my improved machinefor the manufacture of iiexible metallic 'armor from a straight metal strip of substantial width and thickness is clearly illustrated in the drawings, and the operation may be briefly' summarized as follows: In the operation of my improved apparatus, a straight strip 5 is fed centrally within the rolls l, 2, 3 and 4 and the forming-surfaces 6 develop the strip into the initial convolution, deforming the material of the strip circumferentially and along the axis of the helix ina series of interlocking convolutions, and subject it as formed to the setting action of the rolls 20, acting continuously thereupon, the completed helix 25 being discharged through the aperture 28. W hen it is desired to form the helical sheath in place upon an insulated conductor such as those shown at 26 in Fig. 2 and at 126 in Fig. 5, such an insulated conductor may be led to the sheath in any suitable fashion, as well known to those skilled in the art, through the hollow shaft 1T or the shaft 117, respectively.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a form of coiling machine in which coiling rolls 301, 302, having forming surfaces 306, are arranged co-axially with respect to settingrolls 320, the latter being preferably tapered as indicated and provided with peripheral grooves 324. I prefer to drive these setting-rolls positively, and for that purpose have shown their arbors 347 as having gears 353 actuated by a pinion 355 on a hollow shaft 357 which serves as the educt for the product (not shown), the hollow shaft 35T having a gear 358 keyed thereto at 359 and by which it'm'ay 'be'-YV driven by a suitable source 'of power not shown. The coiling rolls 3017 302, will also preferably be driven positively. as by gears 313 keyed at 314: to the roll-arbors 307, which are supported in bearing standards 308, 309, 321, bolted at 312 on a...base310, the gears 313 being engaged with a pinion 315 keyed at 316 upon a hollow shaft 317 to which a gear 318 is keyed at 319 and serves as means to permit actuation of the shaft 317 by a suitable source of power not shown. The coiling grooves 324 upon the rolls 320 are arranged in progressive advancement, as illustrated, to deform the strip laterally, in the manner common to this type of apparatus employing grooved shaping rolls arranged about a common axis, the tapered arrangement of the grooves to cause progressive reduction of the helical strip being novel, however, and in accordance with my invention.

By the means above described the coiling and setting rolls may be driven independently at diii'erent speeds, which may be dedesirable, to avoid undue friction during the setting operation, in instances when reduction of the helix causes its eduction at increased speed. Under favorable conditions however, the setting rolls 320 may be mounted directly upon the arbors 307 with the coiling rolls 301, 302, in which event the arbors 347, gears 353, 355, 358, and hollow shaft 357, may be omitted, with one or all of the bearing standards 308, 331, 311, without necessitating any other change in the organization and operation of the machine, which in essential respects will be similar to that of the machines already described hereinbefore.

The hollow shaft 317 may be of suitable length to serve as a mandrel, the length of this mandrel being varied as found desirable.

Having described my invention thus fully, and suitable mean's for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specic construction, arrangement of parts and materials herein illustrated and described by way of example, nor in general otherwise than as set forth in the claims read in connection with this specification.

I do not claim specifically herein certain features forming the subject matter of the claim in my co-pending applications Serial Nos. 531,923; 584,921; 581,925 and 584,926, filed upon the same date with my present application.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A. coiling-machine; comprising a support; a plurality of upright bearing members extending from said support; and means to secure one or more of said standards...l'.m0vably thereto; a hollow shaft journaledmro'tatively"in said bearingmeml"'Y bers and provided with a driving gear and a driven gear; a plurality of rolls having respectively forming-surfaces and setting surfaces, said rolls being provided also with arbors journalcd in said bearing-Standards and having gears in mesh with said driven gear; said rolls coperating when driven by said shaft to deform a strip helically upon an insulated conductor, and to set the convolutions of said helix at the desired diameter.

2. A coiling-machine; comprising rolls to deform a strip helically; and rolls acting directly upon said strip to set the convolumime? tions of said helix at the desired diameter; said setting-rolls and forming-rolls being arranged co-axia1ly to produce from a single strip atube with interlocking helical 5 convolutions set under compression in an operation compound with their formation.

Signed at New York in the county and DNH MCMURTRIE.

Witnesses WM. H. MCCORMIGK, ALEXANDER C. PRoUDFrr.

opi of this gttent mi be obaime for ve cents me!" by adressing the commissioner of Eatents, 

